The Best Netflix Original Shows, Ranked

The 20 Best Netflix Original Series Of All Time, Ranked

Netflix is an unstoppable all consuming force that subsumes any regular cable TV programming on its path to global TV domination. After expanding its user base to beyond a mind numbing 75 million subscribers around the world, it has become clear that Netflix is here to stay. But it won't have to serve you a meal of rehashed leftovers from a bygone era forever.

Its rapidly growing, and a well respected selection of Netflix original series is taking over the TV landscape in a storm. From comedy dramas about a group of women in a minimum-security federal prison, to stories of Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, Netlfix far reaching and eclectic mix of original content has gained huge momentum and likely contributed significantly to its financial success.

It's 2016, and cutting the cord is now easier than ever. But unfortunately, nobody has the time to indulge in absolutely everything there is on offer. To make it easier for you, we put together a list of the best of the best Netflix original series that were ever created.

Hemlock Grove

Eli Roth, director of the critically acclaimed Hostel series, executive produced this horror series based on a novel by Brian McGreevy. It tells the story of a town split along the middle with a low income steel mill working class on one end of town, and a wealthy, lavish community on the other. Supernatural creatures start coming out of the wood work one by one, roaming Hemlock Grove in the shadows. Twilight-style werewolves take center stage in a series that was later panned by the majority of critics, who took it on in reviews. Odd writing, confused plot lines, low quality acting and an overall corny style made it one of the worst received Netflix originals to date.

Marco Polo

Rotten Tomatoes said it best when concluding that the show was "An all-around disappointment, Marco Polo is less entertaining than a round of the game that shares its name." The series that told the story of Kublai Khan's rule in the 13th century never fully materialized as a crowd favorite, nor earned critical acclaim throughout its two seasons. A dusty execution, slow pacing and too much ambition allowed other, better Netflix programming to subsume it and limited its reception, although it did seem to find its footing for a smaller subset of Netflix' gargantuan audience when considering its favorable reviews on IMDb. It currently has a rating of just 24% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Chef's Table

Chef's Table didn't spend much time in the spotlight. The documentary series explores the behind the scenes stories of some of the biggest chefs around the world and celebrates the unique and amazing qualities they bring to the table (pun intended). It didn't receive much attention, judging by the single (yet positive) review on Rotten Tomatoes.

Grace and Frankie

Aside from the huge success of the sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Netflix original series Grace and Frankie didn't earn nearly as much widespread appeal. Critical reception was moderate and muted; it didn't improve on a well-established sitcom recipe, and despite its progressive, contemporary themes, it didn't manage to garner mainstream success.

Chelsea Does

Speaking of controversial Netflix content that splits opinion cleanly in half. Chelsea Does is one of the most recent additions to the Netflix originals canon. The four part docuseries centered around Chelsea Handler well... doing things was received with very mixed opinions. It tackles tabu issues such as divorce, racism, sexism and drugs head on in an unconventionally open manner that didn't win absolutely everybody over. But having somebody speak so openly and uncut is a true blessing.

Love

Gillian Anderson (Community) and Paul Rust star in this very Judd Apatow examination of the current state of dating and overcoming past relationships that ended badly. Catch up on it on Netflix starting February 19, 2016. Given the show was created by Judd Apatow, I can more or less guess what we are in for, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Early reviews have been positive so far, stating that the show's anti-romance tone and cringe comedy is well done.

W/ Bob & David

Mr. Show had a devoted fanbase in the late 90s. David Cross and Bob Odenkirk's cult sketch comedy show managed to live on for four lengthy seasons until 1998 on HBO. Its Netflix revival gave Mr. Show fans another extended taste of quirky, surreal sketch comedy, featuring some of the funniest improv and standup comedians appearing throughout the 4 episodes. Critics deemed it "fresh" overwhelmingly, applauding the "long-overdue reunion".

F Is for Family

The animated comedy sitcom F Is For Family made its debut in 2015, starring Bill Burr assuming the lead role. As expected, his character appears as vulgar and uncensored as you might expect from someone like Bill Burr, who took on more than just voicing the protagonist for the show (or antagonist?). And yet again, Netflix had a show on its hands that had a very mixed reception. After all, Bill Burr's humor is not for everyone. But for the large part, it passed well above the mark, and is a solid entry as Netflix' second animated original (excluding those targeted at a much younger audience).

Sense8

The Wachowskis may have had a massive hit on their hands with The Matrix back in 1999, but that doesn't mean their track record is flawless. In 2015, Juniper Ascending was considered a failure by many upon release and unfortunately, things didn't get much better when Netflix released a new original series called Sense8 just 3 months later. The hugely ambitious scifi drama that took place simultaneously all over the globe was celebrated for its progressive stance on gender and identity, but due to disagreements during the writing process and a highly complex shooting schedule stopped it from being a ground breaking success. However, it wasn't a complete flop: ratings by Netflix users average to 4.2 out of 5, and the show currently holds a rating of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp

It's the first day of camp in the early 80s. We may know what happens at the very end already thanks to the 2001 cult classic comedy Wet Hot American Summer. But did it warrant a prequel 14 years after the fact? In short, yes it did. The magic was still there. Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp managed to rekindle the magic of the early 2000s original with its star studded cast returning for another helping of summer camp cafeteria food (including a particularly talkative can of mixed vegetables). The miniseries was met with positive reviews, and holds an impressive score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Bloodline

Kyle Chandler (Coach T of Friday Night Lights) takes the helm in this gloomy family drama that regardless of its critical success, remained in the shadow of other contemporary Netflix originals. Well-kept family secrets, ties to crime and the resulting chaos when the oldest son tries to uncover them made for a convincing slow burning 13-episode season in 2015. Some critics went even as far as saying it was the best original yet.

BoJack Horseman

Bojack Horseman managed to pull off the impossible. It gave birth to an entirely new, original animated series that won over the hearts of Netflix users from day one. Especially impressive, considering that all 12 episodes of season 1 dropped at the same time in usual fashion, and didn't feel overbearing, considering the usual bite size format of similar shows. It also gave it the opportunity to explore much larger overarching plot lines that resonated with both Netflix users and critics. Despite all this, it received mixed reviews, and remains an acquired taste to this day.

Master of None

Netflix original series Master of None finally dragged the comedy-drama genre into the 21st century, smack dab in the middle of the year 2015. It's one of the most refreshingly up to date miniseries that talks about dating, sex, friendship and the importance of family through the lens of comedian Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation) in an approachable and at times genius way. It earned critical acclaim through fresh humor, maturity when talking about modern relationships and loveable sidekicks.

Marvel's Jessica Jones

After Daredevil's success, it was logical for Netflix to follow up with a series centered around another cohabitating Marvel character. The sinister world of Jessica Jones came alive with Krysten Ritter's memorable, perfectly tuned in performance. Her ongoing battle with one of the most evil comic book villains we've encountered so far on TV made the first season a spectacle its audience wouldn't forget any time soon.

Marvel's Daredevil

The dark, twisted world of suitably named Hell's Kitchen within the Marvel Universe served as the perfect backdrop for Marvel's Daredevil to serve justice. And Netflix' well-respected adaptation more than made up for the blunder that was Ben Affleck's impersonation in 2003. It brought new life to the Marvel hero and made him more intriguing and ominous than ever before.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Ellie Kemper's breakout performance as Kimmy Schmidt in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - a show created by comedy tycoon Tina Fey - earned the sitcom critical success and widespread popularity. Along with Broadway singer and now internet sensation Titus Andromedon played by Tituss Burgess, the show instantly became one of the most beloved comedy series to have made its way onto Netflix and is easily the funniest, most charming Netflix original to date.

Making a Murderer

The much talked about and highly controversial true crime documentary Making a Murdererturned average Netflix users into armchair lawyers and paralegals over the winter holidays. Its highly complex and twisted court proceedings and lingering conspiracy theories made for an amazingly gripping binge watching experience. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews and was praised as one of the most significant true crime documentaries in recent memory. It even had real world repercussions, sparking support groups and a renewed interest in the case by law firms.

Narcos

Drug kingpin Pablo Escobar's incredible story was begging to be told in a television series, and has been told many times before. And with a Netflix budget, talent and reach, Narcoswas bound to become a huge success. The Drug Enforcement Administration's continuing battle in the war on Colombian cocaine distribution in the late 80s was transformed into a fascinating, 10 episode season that stood out even in the direct vicinity of some of the best television Netflix (and television in general) had to offer.

Orange Is The New Black

After the big success of the much loved comedy drama series Weeds, writer and producer Jenji Kohan managed to live up to her own standards with the wildly popular series Orange Is the New Black - a show that became synonymous with the successes of Netflix' original programming.

Taylor Schilling took center stage in season 1 (the first of three, a fourth is premiering on June 17, 2016), telling the story of her incarceration in a minimum-security federal prison. While her story served as an effective way to introduce the audience to the colorful, varied cast, it was the latter that won over the majority of a rapidly growing, now worldwide audience. According to Netflix, it was the most watched series on Netflix in 2013. Over the course of three seasons, the show raked in countless nominations for both Primetime Emmys and Golden Globes, awarding the series for its outstanding cast, directing, and casting.

House of Cards

Kevin Spacey's show stopping performance in the Netflix original adaption of the UK original of the same name House of Cards made the eerie political drama an instant favorite among Netflix audiences back in 2013. A bomb-proof cast, high stakes, and true evil and malevolence lurking around every corner insured that House of Cards would go on to become a thriller of the ages and one of the best Netflix originals of all time. It won three out of 12 Emmys and garnered six Golden Globe nominations for its first season in both comedy and drama, making it a huge critical success and adored by the Netflix audience and academy members alike.

House of Cards is renewed for a fourth season and is premiering on February 27, 2015.